


My Heart is Yours (It's You That I Hold On To)

by strawberrytozaki



Category: Glee
Genre: Drunken Confessions, F/F, Faberry, Love Confessions, a little bit angsty?, drunk!quinn, kind of?, set right after prom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-01-31 19:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21451243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrytozaki/pseuds/strawberrytozaki
Summary: Finn accidentally tells Quinn that Rachel picked her corsage for her and, in her drunken state, she decides to find out why.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray
Comments: 42
Kudos: 329





	1. I Won't Let You Down  (Oh Yeah, Yes I Will)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from Sparks by Coldplay (it was originally titled Take a Trip Into My Gardenia from Bloom by Troye so ur welcome I saved you all from that horrible pun)

There were clouds of smoke filling the space in the Puckerman residence, the smell of alcohol creeping around every corner. Bodies were grinding against each other and loud music was pumping through speakers in some room of the house, the loud chatter and laughter was almost loud enough to drown it out.

And amidst the chaos, there sat Quinn Fabray on the worn, old, stained couch that Puck liked to call his “Lady Lounger”. She was too drunk to care. All around her there were drunken teens cheering and dancing and singing along to songs that she didn’t recognize as they basked in the after-prom haze. She promised herself she would never attend one of those trashy parties that were just an excuse to get drunk after the class clown failed to spike the punch at prom, yet there she was. Not winning for prom queen was enough of an excuse to drown her sorrows in peach flavoured coolers and the carrot sticks sitting in Puck’s fridge.

Quinn felt so… empty. It felt like everything she had been working toward up until that point was for nothing, like she was just a disappointment all over again. It felt like there was a hole in her heart that she never tried to mend after she gave Beth up and all of her happiness was slowly being drained from it. It all came crashing down on her the moment Kurt was announced as prom queen. _Kurt!_ She let out a groan of frustration at the way her head began to pound and stood up to get another drink. She needed it.

“Hey, Quinn!” She heard Finn shout over the music with his stupid dopey smile as he came to a half in front of her with his stupid tall body and stupid face that didn’t at all help her win prom queen.

“What?” She snapped. If Finn noticed her mood, he didn’t care.

“I’ve barely seen you tonight. Here, I got you a drink.” She looked down at where he was putting another cooler in her hand and smiled at the gardenia still wrapped around her wrist. That was one thing he did right. She was convinced nothing stayed in Finn’s brain for more than 30 seconds before it flew right out and into the nearest trash can, so she was pleasantly surprised when he showed up to her house with the perfect corsage for her.. It sparked something in her chest that she’d never felt around Finn before. It was with that reminder that she allowed him to lead her back to the couch and sat closer than an arms length away from him.

“Thanks,” she finally said with a genuine smile, gesturing to her drink. He gave her a one-shouldered shrug and that half smile that used to make her swoon. Or she thought it was meant to make her swoon, and that was good enough. He lifted his cup of beer to her and she clinked her can against it in a silly cheers motion. She wasn’t exactly sure what they were celebrating but the environment felt intoxicating, so she went along with it anyway.

“You still have the corsage on,” he noticed with relief in his voice. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Yeah,” she nodded softly. It brought an uncontrollable smile to her face again and she shook her head, embarrassed by her own excitement. “Getting it was the best part of my night actually, it meant a lot.”

Finn’s eyes softened at her sincerity and he took her hand in his large one. “I gotta thank Rachel for helping me pick it out on Monday.” Quinn grinned up at him and started nodding along, maybe Finn wasn’t so horrible after all. Maybe she was wrong about him, maybe- wait, _what?_

“Rachel picked this for me?” She asked, suddenly feeling suffocated in the packed house. If Finn noticed, he didn’t show it.

“Yeah, she was super cool about the whole thing. She told me which one to get to match your eyes and all because, you know, I’m useless at that kind of stuff, and…” any words he said after that were drowned out by the pounding of her own blood in her ears. She stood up quickly, ignoring the confused look Finn was giving her, and made her way to the nearest bathroom. “Quinn?” She heard behind her, but she just kept moving. As soon as she made it into the room, she slammed the door shut and made sure to lock it. She sunk down to the floor against the tub and pulled her knees to her chest.

The best part of her night was all thanks to Rachel Berry? Confusion flooded her brain and the alcohol she consumed was not helping her process the information any faster. _Rachel _picked out a corsage to match her eyes? _Rachel_ chose the gardenia? Quinn knew what it meant, she googled it as soon as her and Finn sat in the car to head to prom. She had always been fond of flowers and their hidden meanings and she assumed Finn remembered that fact about her. She assumed he bought her a gardenia for a reason, with purpose. It’s what made it so special. She thought he put effort into that stupid little flower she had around her wrist. But it was Rachel. Rachel put all that effort in. Rachel told Finn what to get. Rachel knew Quinn would love it.

But how? _Why_? Quinn’s head was spinning with all the possibilities and suddenly the room was spinning with it. She scrambled over to the toilet bowl and barely made it in time to empty the contents of her stomach into the white porcelain. It felt like that first heave just brought up a hoard of emotions she had been trying to suppress all night as tears trickled down her face. She didn’t win prom queen, her boyfriend was as dumb as a toddler, she slapped Rachel, and- _oh God, _she _slapped_ Rachel.

Rachel, who practically bought her a corsage, who was the reason her chest felt lighter that night than ever before, who ran after her to comfort her (the _only_ person that tried to comfort her at all that night), who picked a flower with so much symbolism. Rachel, who she _slapped_. The thought made bile rise in her throat again and she ducked her head into the toilet bowl once more.

She let out a loud groan of frustration as the nausea subsided and quickly rinsed her mouth out with water from the tap. She looked into the mirror and rolled her eyes at the girl looking back at her. Bloodshot eyes, messy hair, tear tracks on her face. Her t-shirt was damp from where she spilled some water and she thought her jeans made her look fat. That night was horrible. _But it doesn’t have to be_, she thought. She knew what she had to do and she planned on doing just that, she was going to talk to Rachel. But first, she needed some courage.

She exited the bathroom quickly after that and made her way to the kitchen, that’s exactly where she would find what she needed. As soon as Santana and Puck saw her, she began to wonder if maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

“Fabray! Get your ass over here!” Santana called loudly, very clearly inebriated. Quinn chuckled at her friend fondly and even let her pull her into a bear hug that reeked of vodka. “I hope you’re here for some shots,” Santana giggled into her ear. Quinn just nodded with a small smirk on her face as Puck poured out three shots on the counter. Before either of them could reach for their own, Quinn downed them one after the other and cringed at the taste before smiling smugly.

“Well?” She said with an arched brow, the vodka setting something on fire within her. “I’m waiting.”

Puckerman looked at her with so much admiration that it made Quinn laugh and Santana just patted her on the back proudly. “I am so attracted to you right now,” Puck said quietly. Quinn just rolled her eyes and gestured to the shot glasses again.

That was going to be a long night.

*****

There were a few more rounds of shots, a few more spectators watching _the_ Quinn Fabray get drunk, a few drunken rants from Santana complaining about how neither of the “hottest bitches at McKinley” won prom queen, before she decided she needed to go if she was going to keep her plan in action. The liquor somehow managed to make her even more prepared for the conversation she was about to have with one Rachel Berry. No wonder it was called liquid courage.

After escaping Santana and Puck’s clingy grips around her arm begging her to stay, she pulled on a hoodie that she hung up in Puck’s closet and walked out the door. She knew she could find Rachel’s house from there because she had a great sense of direction, even if she was drunk. And a determined Quinn Fabray was never let down. Well, besides when she lost prom queen and all. But never mind that! She was on a mission, she needed to talk to Rachel.

She wandered down the empty streets of Lima, listening as the thumping of bass from Puck’s house became quieter and quieter until it was basically nonexistent. The cold air settled around her warm body nicely and even though the streets were quiet, Quinn’s drunken thoughts were more than enough to keep her company on the way to Rachel’s house.

Her mind wandered to all sorts of things on her journey. Such as Rachel’s eyes that looked like melted chocolate (Quinn _loved_ chocolate, especially of the melted variety), she also thought about Rachel’s hair that always looked so soft and clean, her cute bangs (Quinn always _loved _bangs), her immaculate singing voice, how she sounded like a real angel on earth every time she graced the choir room with her voice (again, Quinn _loved_ angels). The whole way there Quinn thought about all these wonderful things and decided her and Rachel should officially be friends if the whole talk went well. Wait, what was she going to talk about again? Oh, right, the corsage. Quinn set a determined face once more and marched up the street she knew Rachel Berry was on at that exact moment.

As soon as she halted in front of Rachel’s house, staring at the pink car with “GLDSTR” written on the license plate, she began to wonder if this was a good idea. Her feet were carrying her up the driveway until she stood in front of Rachel’s door and her heart was beating like crazy.

“Okay, Fabray, no backing down now,” she said drunkenly to herself as she nodded with a purpose. “You came this far, you just have to knock.” She lifted her fist to the door but stopped herself mid-knock. “But it’s, like, 1am. She’s probably sleeping and you’re probably going to ruin her night.” She whispered worriedly. “Shit.” She turned around to leave, regretting her decision of coming in the first place, when the front door open and the porch light turned on. Quinn turned around again looking perfectly like a deer caught in headlights as she came face to face with the girl she was there for. Rachel.

“Quinn?” Rachel said, squinting to get a good look at the blonde. “Wh… What are you doing here? Is everything okay?

Quinn suddenly felt terrified at the prospect of having a conversation with Rachel and felt completely stupid for getting as drunk as she did beforehand. There was no way she’s be able to naturally bring up the corsage in conversation when in that moment she had about as much subtlety as… well, as something not so subtle. But maybe if she just sneakily said-

“Why did you pick the perfect corsage for Finn to get for me?”

Rachel looked positively stunned.

Quinn had never seen her stand silent for so long, but there she was. Her eyes were wide and her mouth kept opening and shutting like she was in a battle with her thoughts.

“Would you like to come in?” She finally settled on and, although skeptical, Quinn agreed because _damn _it was cold outside.

She followed Rachel through the doorway and shivered at the sudden shift from the early-spring night chill to the all-encompassing warmth of the Berry residence. She wrapped her arms around herself, an act of insecurity or a way to keep warm she didn’t know. Rachel still looked completely dumbfounded, Quinn noticed from the corner of her eye. She gestured them to the kitchen and put her finger to her lips in a ‘keep quiet’ type of way, so Quinn followed as silently as she could in her drunken state.

When they entered the kitchen, Rachel turned around to finally address the tall, blonde, elephant in the room. “Look Quinn, I think you must be very confused about this situation as we are not particularly friends, however I think it’s important to note that- are you drunk?” She suddenly halted her long-winded monologue as she got a good whiff of vodka radiating from Quinn.

The other girl didn’t answer, but the embarrassed smile on her lips and the way she swayed on the spot were sort of a complete giveaway and something in Rachel stirred with worry at the fact that Quinn Fabray walked all the way to her house while drunk to ask her about the corsage. _Oh God,_ Rachel thought,_ what if she’s here to punch me in the face for getting involved with her relationship. But, no, she didn’t seem angry. Just… curious._ Rachel looked at Quinn intently before she nodded to herself and guided the blonde to take a seat.

“I’ll make you some coffee okay?”

Quinn nodded and watched patiently as Rachel turned around to start brewing a fresh pot of coffee.

“Where were you before you came here?” The brunette finally asked, starting to worry that maybe Quinn had some secret drinking problem that began after the glee gathering that she had at her house. She wouldn’t be able to _live_ knowing she was the cause for someone’s alcoholism.

“Puckerman’s party,” Quinn said with a slight slur. She had her head lazy resting in her head when Rachel turned to look at her and that, paired with the fact that she left a _party _to visit Rachel in the middle of the night, made her chest flutter with nerves.

“And you walked all the way here?”

“Yup,” she nodded as she let her lips pop at the end and giggled at herself. Rachel smiled fondly when she sat down with two cups of coffee in front of her. “To talk about… what did I… _Oh yeah!_ The corsage. You better start talkin’ Berry,” Quinn said as she tried to muster up her best glare, but the way her words began stringing together just made Rachel laugh despite the nervousness she felt.

“Okay, okay,” she surrendered, putting her hands up. She suddenly felt much more comfortable knowing Quinn potentially wouldn’t remember anything she said in the morning. “If you really must know, I picked the corsage for several reasons. For instance, I knew how much tonight would mean to you and you deserved for it to be perfect, and that includes the perfect corsage. We both know Finn is useless in that department, so I decided to help him.” Quinn nodded along, enraptured by Rachel’s voice. “I also know that you happen to be deeply invested in flowers and their meanings, because I heard you speaking with Finn after glee. I assumed you were trying to drop hints as prom was upcoming, and, again, we both know that would not stick in his mind.” Rachel grinned at the soft giggle that came from Quinn at that.

“Wait,” the blonde said, suddenly serious. “You know I like the meanings of flowers, which means…”

“That I picked that specific gardenia for a reason, yes. I knew you would understand the meaning. You were never intended to know it was me, of course, you would believe Finn was the perfect attentive boyfriend getting you a corsage to confess his love for you without words, but if that was the case we wouldn’t be sitting here I suppose.”

“So… you…” Quinn sat up straighter and blinked a few times, trying to force her drunken brain to process the information.

“I’m in love with you, yes. I knew the perfect corsage to choose because I had hopes of one day being able to purchase one for you. I know that’s far-fetched, though, so I gave it to you through Finn and hoped it would be enough. It wasn’t, of course, but I suppose it’s the most I can do,” Rachel shrugged sadly. She felt a tightness in her throat but willed herself to swallow it down. She would_ not_ cry over this. Not anymore. “I saw you with it all night, and it filled me with some sort of pride, that I gave you something you were wearing, however indirect the action was.”

Quinn nodded slowly, Rachel talked really fast and she had to repeat the words in her head a few times before she actually understood the meaning.

“I’m in love with you too!” She said excitedly, and Rachel almost couldn’t hold back the tears at those words. “I realized on the way here! Now we can date and be girlfriends and-”

“No, Quinn,” Rachel said softly. “You’re not.” When Quinn looked at her, utterly confused, Rachel let out a humourless chuckle and shook her head. “You’re drunk, and you think you love me back because I just confessed _my_ love for _you_.”

“No, Rach, you don’t get it I-”

“Can we just… talk about this in the morning? Please?” Rachel said, suddenly feeling too hot confined in the kitchen. Quinn looked at her for a moment, eyes still glazed over from the alcohol, before she nodded slowly. Rachel let out of a breath of relief and dumped their untouched coffee down the drain. It felt metaphorical for what they could’ve had; ending before it could start.

She set Quinn up on the pullout couch in the den with some blankets and pillows before she turned to go back into her own room.

“Wait,” she heard Quinn’s small voice. “Goodnight Rachel.”

“Goodnight, Quinn.”

*****

Quinn woke up the next morning smothered by blankets and suffocated by a pounding headache. There was light filtering in from a window that she didn’t know the location of, and her pillow smelled like something so comfortable, but so unfamiliar at the same time. She pulled the blanket over her head and let out a groan as she opened her eyes. She slowly moved the blanket down and took in her surroundings with one eye open. It was only then that she realized she was at Rachel’s house and let out a huff of frustration at the fact that she couldn’t remember for the life of her how she ended up there. All she could focus on was the pounding in her head, and then she caught sight of the glass of water and advil on the table next to her, with a note reading:

‘_I sincerely hope your hangover is not too bad,_

_ please join me in the kitchen when you feel up to it_

_ Rachel Berry _ _⭐︎_ _’_

She downed the water and pain relievers quickly before, begrudgingly, getting up to use the bathroom. There was an absolutely horrible taste in her mouth that was the result of too much alcohol and she grimaced at the idea of only using mouthwash.

However, when she entered the bathroom, there sat a pink toothbrush, still in its packaging, next to a tube of toothpaste. Quinn smiled at Rachel’s preparedness before she made quick work of brushing the disgusting taste from her mouth. Once she was done all of that, she groaned to herself at the idea of facing Rachel after she was absolutely shitfaced in front of her last night. She didn’t even remember the events that took place. Regardless, Rachel was kind enough to let her stay the night in her drunken state so the least she could do was thank her before calling a cab to go home or something.

And to her surprise, Rachel was at the counter humming along to what Quinn assumed was a Broadway song she didn’t know as she cut up fruit into a bowl. She was wearing the shortest shorts Quinn had ever seen with the tightest sports bra and, damn, who knew Berry had boobs. And abs. And an ass. She quickly shook her head and refused to question the heat that flooded her at the sight.

“Oh!” Rachel said once she noticed Quinn standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “Good morning, Quinn,” she said with a smile, before her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry for my attire! You were sleeping longer than expected so I decided to go through with my elliptical routine to pass the time.”

Quinn just nodded along as Rachel spoke and moved to lean against the counter.

“No problem,” she shrugged before hesitating. “Um… I didn’t, you know, do anything embarrassing last night, right? Besides, like, showing up here drunk out of nowhere.” Rachel laughed at that and shook her head.

“No, not really.” Quinn noticed how she looked… embarrassed, or something, for a split second before she plastered on her signature smile again. “I think you just got confused on your way home, perhaps. I didn’t want to send you home like that, of course, so I let you sleep here. That’s all, really,” she said nonchalantly.

Quinn didn’t dwell on why she showed up at Rachel’s house out of everyone she knew. Maybe drunk Quinn thought Rachel would be the only one at home after prom and wanted to wreak havoc after Puck’s party ended.”

“Well, regardless, thanks a lot. And I’m sorry for just showing up like that,” she said, plucking a strawberry from the bowl that Rachel pushed toward her. “I’m sure you didn’t want to deal with that.”

“It’s fine, really,” Rachel said honestly. “I didn’t really see you after our talk in the bathroom and I’m glad you were okay, well, aside from the walking to my house drunk part.” They both smiled at that before Quinn’s face went somber.

“You know, I’m really really sorry for that, I-”

Rachel put her hand up to stop her. “It’s water under the bridge now, Quinn, no hard feelings.” Quinn let out a breath of relief at that. She couldn’t help but feel like there was more she had to say to Rachel, something important that they both needed to hear, but the more she thought about it, the more it made her head hurt so she decided it must have been nothing.

“Okay,” she nodded gently. “I, um, should probably get home now. My mom is probably wondering where I am.”

“Yeah,” Rachel agreed as they stood up. She guided Quinn to the front door and smiled at her. “It was really nice to see you,” she said.

“It was nice to see you too,” Quinn said almost shyly. “I’ll try to not show up drunk on your doorstep anymore.” They laughed softly at that.

“I’m glad it was here than somewhere unsafe,” Rachel shrugged. Quinn could only nod. She turned to leave, deciding she could just walk home, before something stopped her.

“Hey, uh, Rachel?” She said hesitantly from the steps outside. Rachel opened the front door all the way again and looked at her curiously. “Would you maybe want to hang out sometime? We can go for breakfast soon so I can make up for crashing your night?”

Rachel looked shocked at the request for a few moments before a tentative smile grew on her face. She nodded softly, “of course,” she said. “Just let me know when.” Quinn grinned at that and nodded before waving goodbye and heading toward the sidewalk.

There was still a heavy feeling in her heart, like something was unfinished, but she thought maybe becoming Rachel’s friend would be a huge step toward fixing that.

On the other side of the door, Rachel was sliding to sit on the floor as tears began to overflow down her cheeks. She knew keeping Quinn in the dark was the best for both of them, but she was sure she’d never felt pain cut that deep in her entire life and somehow Quinn wanting to spark up a friendship was the tipping point for her.She wasn’t sure how long she sat there letting the tears spill from her eyes before she managed to move into her bed and fall asleep.

All because of that _stupid_ gardenia.


	2. And I Saw Sparks

**And I Saw Sparks**

Rachel stared at her reflection for a long few moments. She was searching every aspect of her face for any imperfections. Her hair was pin straight, bangs groomed to perfection, clothes without a wrinkle. Everything was going well so far.

Quinn had messaged her the evening after she left Rachel’s house detailing plans for that Sunday morning. It sent a swarm of butterflies to the brunette’s stomach, nerves and excitement filling her as she realized Quinn was _actually_ asking her to hang out. She had easily moved on from Friday night’s mishap, Rachel’d always been a resilient girl, and she was ready to move forward with Quinn. As friends. She was ready to move on from her foolish crush that would never _ever_ work out. She cared about Quinn too deeply to avoid being friends simply because she couldn’t get over her silly feelings.

She glanced at the wilting gardenia sitting on her dresser and sighed. It must have slipped off Quinn’s wrist in her sleep and the girl didn’t notice in her hungover state. Rachel didn’t have the heart to throw it out. When she checked the time on her phone, she let out a small gasp at how long she must’ve been lost in thought. Without sparing herself another look, she grabbed her wallet and dashed downstairs and into her car as she drove toward the diner Quinn chose.

She tapped her steering wheel along to the beat of whatever song was playing on the radio, too nervous to think about singing anything, as she thought about the way it was _so easy_ to talk to Quinn the previous night. They texted for a few hours before falling asleep out of pure exhaustion and it was… nice. That’s the only way Rachel could explain it. They laughed and shared stories and it felt like a true step toward friendship. She ignored the way it made her heart ache that that is all they would amount to. _Friends_.

_Nonetheless_, she told herself as she shook out of her sadness, _it’s something. _

She pulled up in front of the cute little diner and quirked her brow. Quinn Fabray would never cease to surprise her. She would never in a million years have guessed that this was a place Quinn frequented, it was small and quaint and family owned and looked like it was pulled right from the 50s. She checked her phone and saw a text from Quinn that read _‘I’m here :)’ _and she couldn’t contain her smile.

She finally mustered up the courage to leave her car and enter the building. It felt like the air was knocked out of her lungs when she was immersed in the new environment. Even while empty, the place managed to seem so lively, so full of potential; it didn’t even feel like she was in Lima anymore. Almost immediately, she was greeted by a friendly looking elderly woman. There was something so comforting about her that Rachel couldn’t quite put her finger on, but it made her face light up in the most genuine smile she’s ever given a stranger.

“Hey there, Hun,” the woman said kindly.

“Hi, um, I’m actually meeting a friend. Blonde, taller than me, she said she’s here already,” Rachel said, suddenly nervous under the lady’s gaze.

“You must mean Quinn?” The brunette was surprised that the woman knew Quinn’s name, bust quickly realized this must’ve been a favourite spot for her. She nodded slightly and the woman gestured for her to follow her. She walked them through the diner near the back where Quinn sat in a booth right by a neon coloured jukebox. _You Can’t Hurry Love_ by The Supremes was playing gently and something about the entire scene before her set her stomach ablaze. The way Quinn looked so relaxed, in her element, eyes closed as she felt the music. Rachel could only stare stupidly in awe. “She’s one of our most regular customers. Only one that uses that old music box anymore,” the lady said with a fond smile on her face. “You got company, Blondie,” she said jovially. Quinn’s eyes snapped open at the sudden voice and her cheeks turned pink as she saw the two people in front of her.

“Uh, hey, Rach. Thanks, Addie,” Quinn grumbled. The older woman, Addie, just smirked to herself and turned back toward the kitchen. Rachel took a seat across the table from Quinn and smiled through the nerves.

“Hello, Quinn,” she said timidly. “I really like the place you’ve chosen for breakfast.” Quinn smiled back at her and looked almost… proud of the praise from Rachel.

“Yeah,” she bobbed her head gently, “it’s a great place to just, get away from everything. Feels like i’m in another universe when I step in here.” That was something Rachel could completely understand. The short-lived conversation fell into a lull after that and Rachel was wracking her brain for something to say.

“So,” she started. “Are you excited for spring break?”

Quinn perked up at that and leaned forward on the table.

“For sure, I won’t be doing much but that’s perfect for me. I just need to kick back and relax, no crazy extra cheerios practices, no readings for the break, just me.”

“I find it very rare to hear 17-year-old girls talk about ‘me-time’,” Rachel giggles softly. She looked up to see Quinn with a lazy smile on her face and that was enough to set the butterflies off once more. Okay, so maybe her feelings would be harder than expected to get over, but she could do it. She started out striving to become Quinn’s friend and she would be damned if she let unrequited feelings get in the way of that.

“Well, I’ve spent all term socializing and trying to be popular enough to become prom queen and that didn’t even happen,” Quinn shrugged softly, “I need some time to recharge before I’m thrown back in there.”

And Rachel was sure the surprise must’ve shown on her face at the fact that_ Quinn Fabray_ needed to recharge after copious amounts of socialization. The girl that worked hard enough to become head cheerleader by 10th grade, who strived to be prom queen, the most popular girl in school. Quinn sent her that smile again, the one she’d been wearing the whole morning. It made her look completely different from the Quinn that Rachel had become accustomed to. She looked softer, more kind, all the things Rachel could see she was, but it was like all the layers Quinn put on to hide those facts had been washed away and sitting before her was simply Quinn. The teenager girl that also needed a break, that also felt insecure, that didn’t get _everything_ she wanted; just Quinn.

Maybe it was Rachel’s lack of response, or maybe it was the way she was looking at the blonde like she’d just discovered the secrets to the universe, but it made Quinn speak up again.

“Should we order? I’m starving.”

Rachel nodded eagerly, not quite sure why she was lacking in the ability to speak that morning, but not caring enough to dwell on it. Quinn seemed perfectly content, the morning was going well.

Or, it _was_ going well, until she finished scanning the menu for the third time and realized there were absolutely no vegan meals. She felt stupid, thinking that Quinn would remember something like that about her as if they were actually… _friends_ or something. She was about to tell Quinn she had to leave, that she forgot to feed her imaginary dog, or whatever other excuse would find itself slipping from her mouth, when Addie came up to the table with that same warm smile and a blank notepad.

“What can I get you girls?”

Rachel was slowly becoming overwhelmed and her inability to speak was at an all-time high, she looked at Quinn desperately, hoping the blonde would get the message that she didn’t know what to say, and sighed in relief once Quinn opened her mouth.

“I was thinking about getting the usual, but could you just bring us two of the specials I called in about?” She asked as she closed her menu and handed it to Addie, who nodded and walked off with her permanent smile.

“Specials?” Rachel asked, utterly confused and hoping to whoever was listening that Quinn didn’t just order her a plate full of meat because she really did not think vomiting all over the blonde would be a good way to start a friendship.

“Oh! Yeah, sorry, I should’ve definitely asked you first and if you think it’s disgusting, you’re free to hate me for it,” she said quickly, like she was nervous, but her face looked calm as ever. “I called in before I asked you to come here to see if they could manage to put together something vegan for you because I know the menu looks like a meat-loving trucker diet.”

And that was it. Rachel was almost certain that she had died right in that moment and gone to heaven. Not only did Quinn _remember_ that she was vegan, she also called into her favourite diner and had them make a meal that wasn’t on the menu just for her? Finn tried feeding her bacon on their first date- not that this was a date, because it _wasn’t_. But regardless, the megawatt grin that spread across her face was unstoppable.

“That’s really sweet, Quinn, thank you.” Quinn’s cheeks went pink at that and Rachel caught herself before she could coo at the sight. God, this girl was too adorable.

“It was nothing, I wanted to go somewhere other than, like, Breadstix and thought you would be able to appreciate Big Ed’s cooking,” she shrugged.

“Big Ed? Wow, this place is extremely stereotypical, Ms. Fabray,” Rachel joked. They both laughed softly at that and fell into silence once more, except this time it didn’t feel uncomfortable. It felt necessary as they waited for their food to come.

*****

They were still sitting in that booth two hours later, table full of empty plates from where their meals once sat, and where the fruit platter they devoured sat forgotten. They were laughing at something one of them said that was probably nowhere near funny enough to elicit the belly-aching chuckles they were experiencing, tears forming in their eyes.

“He _said _that to your_ face?_” Rachel howled as she replayed the blonde’s words in her head again. Quinn nodded along through her laughter as she took deep gulps of air.

“He didn’t even see anything wrong with it!”

“Oh my God,” Rachel sighed as she got her laughter under control. “He really is not the smartest tool in the shed, is he?”

“Rach, a hammer has more common sense than he does.” They stared at each other for a long moment, both of them daring the other to start laughing, before they both giggled in unison.

Rachel looked at Quinn once she calmed down, long enough to notice the pensive look on her face. She would like to believe they were having a wonderful time together; they laughed plenty, talked about things she never expected to talk about with Quinn. Quinn surprised her too many times over the course of their conversation, knowing things about Rachel that she didn’t think anyone paid attention. The time they spent together definitely made Rachel feel comfortable enough to ask the question that was itching her brain.

“So why are you still with him?” She asked, and part of her internally flinched, preparing for the backlash. But another part, a more sensical part, watched patiently as Quinn struggled to come up with a response.

“Does it make me a horrible person if I say I don’t know?” She looked at the way the blonde bit her lip after asking, like _she _was scared of_ Rachel’s_ response, like what Rachel had to say actually mattered to her.

“No,” Rachel shook her head. “Not at all. I don’t… I don’t think I know why I wanted him so badly either. There’s just something appealing about being with the most popular boy at school. Protection, I guess. Attention. People look at you like you’re something to desire when you’re off limits, taken by the Quarterback,” she shrugged. “It’s completely stupid, but what about the high school social hierarchy isn’t?”

Quinn was looking at her with something akin to awe, like this was the first time she was _really_ seeing Rachel. It made the brunette squirm in her seat, unaccustomed to the attention she was receiving.

“What?” She finally managed to ask. “Is there something on my face?” And it was like Quinn snapped out of her daze as she sat up a little straighter and laughed.

“No, no, sorry. It’s just- I’m still surprised by how much you get me,” she said honestly. Something Rachel learned from this outing with Quinn was how candid she could be. How, when there was no one around to judge her, she spoke freely and openly and didn’t hold back much. She had let slip multiple compliments toward Rachel that she simply brushed off as fact and kept going, leaving Rachel a floundering mess for a few moments until she could get over it. She was making it increasingly harder for Rachel to leave behind her romantic feelings.

“I suppose we aren’t as different as everyone likes to believe,” Rachel finally answered softly. Quinn’s eyes changed after she spoke. They looked gentler, like liquid sun around her dark pupils, something Rachel could see even in the horrible diner lighting. It made her breath catch in her throat and suddenly they were having what seemed to be a staring contest. Quinn’s eyes were searching, for what, Rachel was unsure; but she could see that Quinn was looking for something that she believed Rachel had, like Rachel had the answers to whatever she needed to know. The brunette’s heart rate picked up the longer she looked into those golden eyes and she was struggling to catch her breath, feeling like she had just run a marathon.

They maintained eye contact for what felt like hours before she felt Quinn slowly inching closer, like some magnetic force was pulling them together, like it was what was supposed to happen. Rachel’s heart had dropped to her stomach and she felt frozen to her spot, not able to fully comprehend what was happening. Her eyes began to flutter shut in anticipation when the sound of a loud family broke the girls out of their spell. They immediately flew back to their respective sides of the booth as they turned to see Addie seating down a family of five on the other side of the diner. Quinn looked positively stunned when Rachel glanced at her again; eyes blown, mouth open, cheeks so red she almost mistook them for apples. If her heart hadn’t been pounding away at her ribs, she would’ve smiled at the fact that she elicited that type of response from Quinn Fabray.

And then the panic began to sink in.

Did Quinn remember what happened at her house on prom night? Was she just playing dumb to spare Rachel’s feelings? Was she going to kiss her as some sort of experiment? Did she-

“Hey,” Quinn said, gently prying Rachel from her thoughts. She noticed there was a receipt on the table and a few bills on top of it. “How about we head out?” And even though Rachel’s mind was spiralling with all those thoughts, the way Quinn referred to them as ‘we’ made her feel dizzy with excitement. She nodded, deciding she would slip money in Quinn’s locker at school the next day to make up for her inability to argue who got to pay the bill.

Quinn walked her to her car outside. As soon as they exited the building, it felt like they were transported back to earth, back to Lima. The blonde sent her a smile, a genuine one, like they didn’t almost kiss in that booth in the diner, hidden away from the world. And Rachel was surprised to find herself sending one back.

“I had a lot of fun,” she said, Quinn’s honesty beginning to rub off on her.

“Yeah, I did too.” Quinn sounded almost… bashful at the admission. “I was wondering, and you don’t have to feel obligated at all, but I just wanted to know if maybe you wanted to do this next Sunday as well?”

Out of all things she could’ve asked, Rachel definitely wasn’t expecting that. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, which Quinn obviously took as a bad sign.

“Don’t worry! You don’t have to,” she assured quickly, but Rachel just laughed, to the surprise of them both.

“No! No- um, I would love to. I really had a great time today.” The way Quinn’s face lit up made everything feel absolutely worth it. The blonde lifted her hand to scratch the back of her neck and stuck one hand in the pocket of her jeans as she smiled shyly.

“Okay, um, great! So, I’ll see you at school tomorrow I guess,” she finally said with a little bounce that Rachel found _too_ cute for one person. Rachel nodded in agreement and was left feeling unsure of what to do. Was it weird to hug her? That was how friend bid each other farewell right? But before she could struggle with her thoughts too much, Quinn pulled her in for a quick hug before she was bounding over to her own car, walking backward so she could wave goodbye to Rachel.

“Oh! Uh, bye Quinn!” She shouted across the parking lot, when suddenly the blonde walked backward into another car and sent her hands flying back to catch herself. Rachel tried her best to stifle her laughter as Quinn called out “I’m okay!” and quickly turned to enter her own car.

Rachel sat behind the steering wheel of her car and let out an ear-piercing squeal at how amazingly that morning had gone. She was thanking all that was good in the world for the fact that Quinn had asked her to breakfast and that she had said _yes_.

_And Quinn wanted to do it next week too!_

Rachel let out another squeal before she sped out of the parking lot and toward her house.

*****

So that was how it went. After school ended, they went for breakfast again (Quinn felt comfortable enough to order her ‘usual’ after Rachel spent 15 minutes assuring her it wouldn’t bother her), but that Sunday, Quinn invited her to her house and they spent all day watching her secret stash of musicals that Quinn made Rachel _swear_ to never speak of. They laughed harder than they’d ever laughed before and cried unabashedly when they felt overwhelmed with the sorrow portrayed onscreen.

Somehow, between making a mess while attempting to make popcorn on the stove, and cracking jokes about Quinn’s One Direction poster, Rachel had never felt closer to another person. And that feeling never stopped. Not when Quinn asked if she wanted to go for breakfast the next day, not when _she_ invited _Quinn_ over afterwards, not when they hung out the day after that, or the day after that, or almost every day until spring break was almost over.

Quinn had grown to be Rachel’s best friend in the short two weeks they had spent conjoined at the hip, she realized as she sat in the passenger’s seat of Quinn’s car. The blonde was humming along to the song playing on the radio, but Rachel could barely focus on the words being sung as she watched Quinn’s facial expressions so intently. She didn’t stop watching her until they entered the diner, waved to Addie, and sat in their usual booth next to the jukebox. Rachel felt herself get warm at the fact that they had something that was _theirs_ now. That Quinn trusted her enough to bring her to what Rachel soon found out was something of a sanctuary for the blonde.

In just two weeks they had sat in that booth daily, taking turns choosing songs to listen to, singing along as loud as they could, sometimes for an audience. They shared stories no one else knew in that booth, laughed and laughed harder in those same seats. In just two weeks it became Rachel’s sanctuary too. She put her head in her hand and sighed as she stared into the dazzling lights of the jukebox, like her and Quinn had been friends for a lifetime and all the memories were flashing before her with each light. Rachel couldn’t shake the feeling that they were _supposed_ to be in each other’s lives. No one else would sit on her bed and listen to her run scales for practice, no one else would entertain her obsession with Broadway, no one else could leave Rachel too stunned for words while doing something as simple as singing in the car. Quinn was so… different. Something Rachel craved, _needed_, in her life. Their relationship blossomed so naturally that she didn’t feel even remotely surprised by the fact that she was sitting across from _Quinn Fabray_ in _their_ spot of the diner before spending the rest of the day together.

“Hey,” Quinn said, pulling her out of her thoughts. “You okay?” She looked at Quinn again, hazel meeting brown as they fell into another round of oh-so-common eye contact. It wasn’t weird anymore, to catch each other staring, it felt almost comfortable, like Quinn was the only thing keeping her grounded in the moments. She knew Quinn’s eyes like the back of her hand.

“Yeah,” she finally said with a nod, and she truly meant it. Maybe her feelings would never be reciprocated but she had never felt more okay than she did in that moment, with Quinn.

“Okay, good,” Quinn smiled. “I-” she was cut off as Addie put two steaming mugs of coffee in front of them with a quick smile and went on to serve another family. “I have to tell you something.”

And the serious look on her face sent Rachel’s stomach into a frenzy of bad butterflies. She never did think about what was going to happen the next day, when they had to go back to school, where she would be _Rachel Berry _and Quinn would be _Quinn Fabray._ She didn’t think about it because Quinn never made her feel like it would matter. But now? Was she about to say she couldn’t associate with Rachel in school? It would make sense, maybe she was worried about how her popularity had taken damage after not winning prom queen. Of all the things Rachel’s mind could come up with that would cause the need for a serious discussion, what Quinn said was not at all what she was expecting.

“I broke up with Finn.”

She immediately halted any previous thoughts and stared at the blonde in shock. If she was being completely honest, she had forgotten about Finn altogether. After their first hangout, he was never a topic of discussion and maybe that’s what should’ve hinted to Rachel that something was wrong.

“Wh-what?” She stuttered out, feeling completely dumbfounded. “Um, when?”

“The last day of class, before spring break.” The way Quinn was so nonchalant about it made it seem like that wasn’t the serious thing she wanted to talk about.

“Oh, um, well I’m sorry…?” Rachel said back weakly, not understanding why Quinn wasn’t bursting into tears or something along those lines. “Why did you, um, wait this long to tell me?”

Quinn opened her mouth a few times after that, open and shut like she was unsure of what to say. Rachel had been lucky enough to witness Quinn’s eloquence over the past couple of weeks and it was most definitely strange to see her friend at a loss for words. She had more to say than Rachel most times, if you gave her the chance, and Rachel gulped at the fact that she was struggling to formulate sentences.

“I think…” Quinn started, “I think I was too scared to tell you the reason.” Rachel felt her palms begin to sweat and her heartrate pick up when Quinn reached over the table to take her hand. Affection wasn’t unfamiliar between them, but the way Quinn looked into her eyes, like she needed her to _hear_ everything she was saying made Rachel feel weak. “Look, Rach, I know we’ve only been hanging out for two weeks, but you’re my best friend and I can say that without hesitation,” Rachel nodded along to show she felt the same. “And I would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship, but I need to say this.

“Quinn, what-”

“No, please, just let me do this because I don’t know if I’ll be able to say it if I don’t do it right now.”

Rachel shut her mouth immediately and nodded, watching Quinn take a few deep breaths as she gripped her hand tighter.

“I broke up with Finn, because I remembered what happened on prom and I realized staying with him was a horrible thing to do… because I don’t want him. I just want you.” Rachel felt like the air was knocked out of her lungs at Quinn’s confession. She was holding onto the blonde’s hand so tight, as if she was scared she would float away without something to keep her in that diner booth.

“Y-you… but… When did you remember?” Rachel said breathlessly, no louder than a whisper.

“Since the Monday after we first hung out, actually,” Quinn gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Finn asked what I did on Sunday and when I said I was with you he reminded me about how you were the one that picked my corsage and it kind of just… all came back to me.”

Rachel was nodding along, barely registering what Quinn was saying as she listened the blood pounding in her ears.

“Rachel, hey, are you okay?” She heard Quinn ask and could only nod again in response. “Look, I know this is a lot, and you don’t have to feel obligated to do anything, I just couldn’t control myself. I wanted to wait until I figured out if you really liked me and if I really liked you before saying anything, but all I know right now is that I _really_ like you, Rachel, and if you don’t feel the same that’s okay, I just don’t want this to affect our-“

Rachel did the only thing her brain could think of and she grabbed Quinn by the collar of her sweater and pulled her across the table as she pressed their lips together, ignoring the muffled yelp of surprise from Quinn as she did so. Their coffee mugs clinked together and Rachel was sure there must’ve been a spill, but she couldn’t process any other thought besides _Quinn, Quinn, Quinn_, and the way Quinn felt and tasted and smelled, and how it all felt like a wonderful dream. There were sparks flying behind her eyelids as their lips moved against each other and she let out a sound of appreciation as Quinn took control and kissed back with full force.

It wasn’t until they pulled apart that she felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment at her boldness. Quinn ‘s chest was heaving, and her eyes were wide, and her lips were red and Rachel… _laughed_. She let out a laugh from deep within herself and it echoed through the diner and it brought a smile to Quinn’s face.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... and there we have it folks. I'm kind of super attached to this Rachel and this Quinn and don't know if I want to stop writing them so.. I might be making a whole AU series around this plot line depending on how many people actually enjoyed this (or if I just feel motivated to keep writing) hope you enjoyed this little two-shot!

**Author's Note:**

> oop.......
> 
> this was supposed to have a happy ending but this was so much more fun! Might make this into a two-shot if I find inspiration to continue but I hope everyone enjoys! Don't hate me!


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